The MINI Countryman Panamericana is based on the
Cooper S E Countryman All4. The adventure vehicle retains the production
model’s plug-in hybrid powertrain, but has been specially prepared to tackle
one of the longest roads in the world.
That would be the Panamericana – otherwise known as
the Pan-American Highway, Ruta Panamericana, or Interamericana. The longest
north-south highway in the world, it incorporates over 30,000 miles (48,000
kilometers) of roads. They traverse a distance of 16,000 miles (25,750 km), as
the bird flies, from Tierra del Fuego in Argentina to Alaska.
Mini is sending three of these expeditionary
vehicles on the adventure. Each is fitted with auxiliary driving lights and a
roof rack to carry a spare wheel and tire. That may come in handy considering
the various environments the vehicle will have to traverse to get from one end
to the other. There’s a map-outline decal of the Americas on the side. But
otherwise, it looks pretty much bone-stock.
The MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 packs a
1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor and
a six-speed automatic transmission. Combined, they send a total of 221
hp and 385 Nm of torque to all four wheels.
All the while, it’ll go up to 12 miles on electric power alone (by US
standards), and up to 270 with the internal-combustion engine kicking in,
returning an EPA-certified equivalent of 65 miles per gallon.
